Bubbler Executive Appointments and Awards

Wave players honored as league finalists
The Major Indoor Soccer League announced the finalists for its 2011-2012 awards and give Milwaukee Wave players are listed as finalists in their positions. The awards will honor the league’s Most Valuable Player, Rookie of the Year, Defender of the Year, Goalkeeper of the Year and Coach of the Year
Marcio Leite, Nicolas Perera, Joe Hammes, Marcel Feenstra, and Keith Tozer are included as finalist.
The winners will be announced at the MISL Championship media awards ceremony in Baltimore today. The 2011-12 All-MISL First and Second teams and the MISL All-Rookie Team will be announced on Wednesday.
The Milwaukee Wave, who will face the Baltimore Blast in the MISL Championship Series starting Friday at 7:35 p.m. at 1st Mariner Arena (MISLLive.com), lead the way with a finalist in each of the five categories. The Missouri Comets are next with four nominees, followed by the Blast with three. Votes for the MISL honors are submitted by MISL team management and select media members.

Channel 12 names new news anchor
WISN-Channel 12 announced that Craig McKee will be the new co-anchor for its 10 p.m. newscast.
The veteran broadcaster will provide live reports the week of March. 26 and will share the anchor desk with Kathy Mykleby in early April.
Jason Newton, who has been filling in at 10 p.m., will co-anchor with Toya Washington weekdays at 5 p.m., and Terry Sater and Mykleby will continue to co-anchor 6 p.m. newscast.
McKee comes to WISN 12 from KFMB-TV in San Diego, where he was the weekend evening news anchor.
“Life is an amazing journey. The McKee family’s life book has many chapters; some short, some long, and others are downright roller coaster rides,” McKee said. “We are thrilled to be coming to Milwaukee to work with an award-winning news team. We plan to make this Milwaukee chapter the never-ending story, a place to plant roots and call home for many years to come.”
“Craig McKee is an excellent journalist and he will be a great addition to our newsroom. He likes to dig deep and that gives us added depth to an already strong reporting staff,” said Lori Waldon, news director at WISN-Channel 12. “He’s a good storyteller who knows how to connect with our viewers.  And Craig has made it very clear that he’s invested in our community. He won’t just read copy from the anchor desk – he wants to really find and report issues and stories that affect our viewers. We are thrilled to have Craig on board.”
“These moves serve to strengthen the 12 News Team. We have outstanding anchor teams with rich experience and perspective,” say Jan Wade, president and general manager of the top-rated television news station. “We’re thrilled to have Craig here; his dedication to quality reporting and anchoring make him a natural fit. Bringing Jason to the Monday through Friday rotation permanently is also an easy decision. Jason is a respected journalist who does an outstanding job for us. He is very deserving of this promotion.”
WISN-Channel 12 is a media partner of BizTimes.

Franklin Energy names Pearson CFO
Franklin Energy Services LLC, a Port Washington-based national energy efficiency services company, announced the appointment of Tracy Pearson, CPA, to the position of chief financial officer.
Pearson has served in CFO and president roles for public and private companies in the health care, distribution, technology services and energy sectors since 2001.
Pearson was most recently CFO/treasurer and risk officer with RMT Inc. in Madison. She previously was CFO for GE Healthcare Inc.’s Diagnostic Imaging Services Division in Waukesha and CFO/general manager with Edge Medical LLC in Reno, Nev.
“Tracy will be a strong addition to Franklin Energy’s senior management team. Her experience with mergers and acquisitions and ability to implement strategic growth initiatives will benefit our regional expansion plans,” said Paul Schueller, chief executive officer and founder of Franklin Energy.
Franklin Energy has more than 300 employees and offices in 11 states. It has been named a Future 50 company by the Council of Small Business Executives (COSBE).

PNC Bank picks Goller to oversee Wisconsin region
PNC Bank has named Christopher Goller as regional president of Wisconsin.
Goller will join PNC on March 26, heading one of PNC’s leading growth markets.
The Milwaukee native will succeed Beth Wnuk, who earlier announced her plans to leave the bank at the end of March following nearly five years at the job.
“Chris’s banking experience, community involvement, and leadership will help PNC further grow our business and continue to attract top talent to our Milwaukee team,” said Dale Klose, executive vice president and head of the regional president’s office in PNC’s Midwest region. “We thank Beth for helping us establish PNC as a leading bank in Milwaukee and throughout the state, and wish her the best.”
Goller joins PNC from U.S. Bank N.A. and its predecessors in Milwaukee where he served since 1991 in increasingly more responsible business and commercial banking leadership positions. Most recently, he served since 2007 as senior vice president and Commercial Banking leader, where he led a team of senior-level commercial bankers in Wisconsin and Michigan. Prior to joining U.S. Bank, he held various positions with Marshall & Ilsley Bank.
Active in the Milwaukee region, Goller’s involvement includes board and leadership positions with Friends of Housing Inc. and United Community Center, and formerly with First Stage Children’s Theatre and the Marquette University Graduate School Advisory Board.  
Goller earned both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in business administration from Marquette University. In addition, he served as adjunct professor in finance and international trade at Ottawa University in Brookfield.
PNC Bank N.A. is a member of The PNC Financial Services Group Inc., which is based in Pittsburgh.

Longbottom is new CEO of Trostel
Lake Geneva-based Trostel Ltd. today announced that Jay Longbottom has been appointed chief executive officer of the firm, which manufactures custom seals, precision molded rubber products and custom rubber compounds.
Trostel is a subsidiary of Milwaukee-based Everett Smith Group. 
According to Everett Smith Group CEO J. Douglas Gray, Longbottom’s significant executive leadership and experience in the field put him in excellent position to help lead the company.
“We are pleased to have Jay on board,” Gray said. “His extensive executive leadership experience, 25-year track record of success and significant international experience put him in a strong position to help Trostel meet its strategic initiatives.”
Longbottom previously served as CEO and president of Haldex AB, a provider of innovative solutions to the global commercial vehicle industry. He also headed Haldex’s commercial vehicle systems division, as well as the company’s hydraulics division during his 10-year tenure with the company. His successful career includes 14 years in leadership roles at SKF Group, a majority of which was spent in SKF’s sealing businesses, including CR Elastomer Gmbh and Chicago Rawhide.
“I’m honored to have this opportunity to become part of a great company with great people and excellent customers,” Longbottom said. “I look forward to the future with optimism and a commitment to bring continued success to Trostel.”